It was on the football field in Parkersburg, Iowa, where Casey Wiegmann learned how to snap the ball and block. But even more than that, the field was a place to learn the lessons of life, especially those taught by Aplington-Parkersburg High School head coach Ed Thomas.

Wiegmann, the Broncos’ Pro Bowl center, considered Thomas a mentor and someone who taught him what was important, such as taking care of loved ones and being a valued member of the community. Now, Wiegmann finds himself without that adviser.

Thomas was shot and killed by a former player Wednesday, authorities said.

Mark D. Becker, 24, was arrested after he allegedly walked into the high school’s weight room where Thomas was supervising approximately 30 students, and shot the coach several times. Police would not discuss any potential motive. Becker was charged with first-degree murder and was being held in Butler County jail.

“You feel helpless. There’s nothing you can do,” Wiegmann said. “You try to console everybody and tell them they’ll be all right, but it’s hard to say.”

Wiegmann was in Iowa at the time of Thomas’ death and was able to visit with the coach’s family and friends.

Thomas, 58, was the football coach at the school with 250-some students for 34 years. Four NFL players — Wiegmann, Green Bay linebacker Aaron Kampman, Jacksonville center Brad Meester and Detroit defensive end Jared DeVries — all learned the game with Thomas’ guidance.

“You just have to wonder, why Coach, a guy who has done so much, who even helped (Becker) out when he was a football player,” Wiegmann said.

Wiegmann graduated from Aplington-Parkersburg High School in 1991. Although his performance on the field in the town of 1,800 people helped him play for the University of Iowa and then in the NFL, Wiegmann remembers his time spent with Thomas as about more than just the game.

“You’re not just learning football stuff from the man,” Wiegmann said. “You’re learning about life.”

Thomas compiled a 292-84 record over 37 seasons, and led Aplington-Parkersburg to 19 state playoff appearances and two state championships. He taught his players the rarely used wing-T offense on the field named after him.

Released without notice

The story behind Becker’s days leading up to his alleged attack on Thomas has more twists and turns than a hairpin road. Court records say Becker took a baseball bat to several windows and rammed a garage door with his car at an area house Saturday night. After a high-speed police chase, Becker hit a deer and was apprehended.

Records also show Becker was arrested, but wasn’t booked into the Butler County jail, a member of the jail staff told The Des Moines Register.

Cedar Falls, Iowa, police chief Jeff Olson said Wednesday county deputies agreed to take Becker to a psychiatric ward and requested Cedar Falls police be notified when he could be released. Cedar Falls police didn’t hear anything more.

Thomas’ slaying was the second devastating event in Parkersburg in about a year.

Much of the town was destroyed when an EF5 tornado (the strongest measurement on the scale) touched down on May 25, 2008. Houses were leveled and trees debarked during the vicious storm. Eight people died that day.

But Thomas was dedicated to resurrecting the place he called home. He made sure that football, the one thing that brought everyone together in Parkersburg, would continue, even while graves were being dug and buildings were being replaced.

“He did so much for the community and everyone,” said Brenda Wiegmann, Casey Wiegmann’s mother.

Many helping hands

The little town got a boost from several big names, including Mike Shanahan, the former Broncos coach, who donated $5,000 to the relief effort. The NFL also contributed, and a total of more than $125,000 was raised to help get Parkersburg back on its feet.

“I told the kids that we want them to feel pressure. This football team is playing for the entire community. It’s something that we’ve rallied behind,” Thomas said last October.

“I told them, ‘You all have the best learning situation of anywhere in the country because of what we went through and what we’re going to go through with the rebuilding because you’re living it firsthand.’ ”

Now, after the slaying of the community’s legendary coach, Parkersburg and Wiegmann will have to rally once more.

“My values, the way I run my life and treat my family and take care of people, came from him,” Wiegmann said.

Staff writer Anthony Cotton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

About Ed Thomas

• Football coach at Aplington-Parkersburg High School in Parkersburg, Iowa, a town of 1,800 about 80 miles northeast of Des Moines.

• Compiled a career record of 292-84 in 37 seasons as a head coach, including 34 at Class 1A Aplington-Parkersburg. Led the Falcons to 19 state playoff appearances and two state championships, in 1993 and 2001.

More in Sports

Broncos general manager John Elway was reminded of the nice weather, of the fun memories he had some 13 miles west in Palo Alto in college and of course the ones he experienced here in Santa Clara back in 2016.

A tangled mess at Coors Field unraveled early Thursday afternoon as rookie right-hander Jeff Hoffman craned his neck to see home run after home run leave the yard. Before the end, it devolved into a dilemma.